Home
by Morgana Irving
Summary: "Never trust caves. Nothing good happens in Caves. This was his stupid idea anyways; I never even wanted to leave my house in the first place." Axel is in a slump and his two best friends Demyx and Roxas are trying to break him out of it. They take a trip to the beach, yet a side trip of exploring a cave leads to some strange adventures. M for language, and future events.
1. Chapter 1

Warm, humid air, still in its movements weighed heavy on anyone who passed through the summer heat. The only relief that would come would be the shelter of homes, though without an air conditioner it provided little comfort.

Vibrent straberry-red hair stuck to sweaty cream skin, and teal-green eyes peered out rather irritated at the world from beneath drooped eye lids. A sighing, drawled out pant left the lips of the individual as he stared out the window from his seat on a lounge chair. The sky offered a bright cloudless blue that invited one to play outside, though he knew that such an act would only exhaust him farther then necessary. The heat and effort to wake from cooler dreams into the warmth of reality made it even more not worth the trip outside. He clicked his tongue against his teeth and slid down in his chair further. Light padded footsteps approached him and as he looked up cerulian eyes, sandy-blond locks, and strangely styled hair, were the only signs that it wasn't someone he should be snapping at. The other male offered him a small smile as greeting before speaking.

"Honey, I'm home." He teased, slidding closer to the other carefully. The red-head made a hissing sort of sound as he curled up tightly turning away from the blond. He quickly regretted the action and uncurled sprawling out over the chair again.

The red-head glanced back at the blond with a huff. "What is it Demyx?" The blond reached out to poke the other's cheek with one hand only to receive a snap and near bite.

"Oooh Axie, why so huffy and puffy?" Demyx chirped, yanking his hand back to his side. "Wait, I got it." Demyx jogged to the kitchen and yanked the fridge door open, pulling out a water bottle. "Here love, I bring thee water. Fresh from the Alps."

Axel reached up and snatched the bottle from his friends hands, twisting it open and taking several large gulps from it. "What do you want, Demyx?" Axel asked again, securing the cap back onto the bottle. "There isn't a reason for you to be here. Your brother's home from colledge right?"

Demyx rubbed the back of his head looking down. "Well, do I really need a reason to see my best friend?" Axel screwed up his face glaring at him and rolling over again.

"Yes you do." He hissed, reopening the bottle for another sip. "Thanks for the water from my fridge." Demyx sighed, the sound of his feet padding closer was a sign that he wasn't giving up easily this time.

The blond crouched down to eye level with him. "What's really bothering you, Axel? I just wanted to see if you'd like to come to the beach with me and Roxas." He rested his hand on the arm of the lounge chair, testing the waters of Axel's rage.

Axel held eye contact, slowly growing more irritated with Demyx's presence. "Alright, well, as you can see I don't want to go. So get the hell out of my appartment, Demyx."

"What if I said I don't want to?" Demyx challenged, sitting indian style next to the chair. He crossed his arms as an added effect.

Axel finally pulled himself straight and gave Demyx a long, hard stare. "Then I guess I'll leave." He stood up and headed for the back door where Demyx had entered.

Demyx rose and stumbled after him. "Hold on, Axel!" He grabbed Axel's arm pulling him back. "Tell me what's the matter, you don't have to deal with it alone, Axe." Demyx now gave Axel his own determined look.

The red-head yanked his arm free and opened the back door letting the scorching heat crawl in. "Demyx, I would like to be left alone. If I have a change of mind or heart I'll call for you." Axel hissed, still holding the door open.

Demyx rubbed the back of his head and, reluctantly, stepped out into the heat. "I hope you change your mind, but not your heart. I like you the way you are." the blond headed down the steps, walking towards a silver SUV .

Axel closed the door harshly behind Demyx before stalking back over to the chair. He slumped down into the chair and cradled the cold water bottle, trying to burn holes into the floor boards beside him. A moment or two and Axel closed his eyes slowly, letting his head fall back. Numbers slipped past his lips, starting at one and continuing to ten. When the number had slipped passed his lips the door slammed open. A honey-blond male, with a pair of deep swirling blue spinel eyes stormed into the room and Axel curled his lips in to a snarl. "Roxas, get the fuck out of my house before I call your mommy or something!"

Roxas crossed his arms, glaring at Axel, "No," He replied in a calm, even tone. "Do you know how much you've upset Demyx? I bet you don't because you're too busy sitting here in your fucking self-pity blaming yourself for the world's problems or some shit like that."

Axel groaned as he rolled over in his chair to face away from Roxas. The other male stomped his foot in irritation, growling for extra effect to show his irritation. Roxas lunged forward tugging Axel's arm, catching him by surprise enough to yank the skinny red-haired male from his chair. "Now you listen to me; you're coming to the beach with us; like it or not. Demyx wants you there and so do I. You're not just Demyx's best friend dumb-ass."

Axel closed his eyes and dead-weighted on the ground. "Fine! That's how you want to be; I'll drag you all the way to the car!" Roxas grunted grabbing Axel's other arm and struggling to drag the deceptivly heavy man, snatching the house keys on his way out. Roxas heaved the stubborn male outside, releasing him only to block and lock the door so that Axel couldn't run back inside.

Axel finally stood up dusting himself off. "Fine, I'll go to the fucking beach; but don't expect me to get in the water!"

Roxas gave a triumphant smile as a devious look filled his eyes. "That's all I ask." When the two entered the vehicle, Demyx bore the widest grin upon his face as he whipped around in the driver's seat to watch Axel buckle his seat-belt.

Axel grumbled at Demyx when he looked up and noticed he was still watching him, glee plastered on his face. "Stop looking at me with that shit-eating grin." Axel snapped. Demyx, undeterred, turned around in his seat to start the Suburban; though his smile didn't fade in the slightest.


	2. Chapter 2

A.N: Hello everyone. I've been gone for a while but I've been having some issues with actually focusing on writing. Past that I would like to thank Nyeu87(DA name) for being my muse to bounce ideas off of and Gratia (IMVU) for being a proof-reader for me! Thank you both so much for helping me get past writers block and finally be able to post something. (⊙ヮ⊙) Please enjoy the story! I made this one extra-long and I will start work on Chapter 3 immediately!

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The hushed echos of the ocean waves lapping at shoreline washed over the beach. Axel had been lead by Demyx and Roxas to a more secluded part of the beach that others had not yet reached. The two blonds where chatting merrily and laying down towels while the single red-head just stared out blankly and more then a little irritated at his surroundings. It took the sound of Demyx's voice to bring him back into the present time. "I said, would you like to go exploring after a swim?" the older blond laughed at the bewildered expression Axel took on.

"Do I have a choice?" Axel grumped back. Roxas rolled his eyes, beckoning Axel to sit down next to him while Demyx merely laughed taking his own seat on the other side of Roxas. "Guess not." he spoke again, though this time with a more submissive sigh.

"Oh cheer up mr. grumpy-pants! You're at the beach with your two best friends who put up with your prepubescent girl fits!" Demyx chirped, reaching around Roxas to tickle Axel's side. The taller male winced pulling away from the wiggling fingers.

Demyx slowly pulled back, shuffling in his seat and becoming comfortable before starting conversation with his brother again. The blond knew it would take a moment for the short-fused red-head to come around into a conversational mood. As Axel listened to the two, he felt a slight irritation at the overly cheerful mood. He finally bellowed out a sort of growl, jumping to his feet and storming off. Kicking up sand as he went unnoticed for a few paces, Roxas finally called out to him "Hey Flame-ass where are you going?"

Axel shrinked at the name and let out a hiss. This caused a rather loud giggle from Roxas. "Poor pussy-wussy is grumpy." he teased causing another growl. "Seriously though, where are you off to Axel?"

Axel kicked up sand as he spun, though unintentional the act didn't seem as such. "A walk. Chill my jets and all since I'm such a fucking 'grumpy puss' as you put it." He retorted spinning back around and continuing his show of storming off in a grump. Roxas huffed turning back to Demyx who shrugged in response.

The fuming red-head makes his way across the sand, slowly but surely calming himself as he just listens to the distant echos of people and the ocean's song. Axel lets out a sigh finally feeling the weight of his words on his shoulders. Initially he was happy, almost over-joyed that the small blond male was home, bouncing around and hanging out with him and Demyx again. Axel really had missed Roxas. Yet it was during one of the days when the three had been hanging out that things turned south. Axel had only left for a moment to use the restroom and had overheard what he assumed was the end of the conversation just as Demyx had said, rather irritated, "I wouldn't even try it myself. It doesn't help that his anger issues are so out of fucking hand that I feel like I'm walking in a mind field with that guy. It's so hard to catch him in a good mood. Just try not to be alone with him alright".

Axel let out another sigh and and halted his movements to stare quizzically at a large boulder that had risen to his interest suddenly. He gauged the height of the piece of earth for a moment, then placed a hand to the smooth stone and scaled it with some difficulty. When he finally reached its peek he stared off and around at the scenery, doing a slow 180. It was truly a beautiful sight. In front of him was a vast horizon of dark blue ocean meeting light blue sky. To his left, the path which he had come from, his footprints where still visible. Light and being lapped at by ocean tides. Behind him a large sand-dune stretched on and on. The few breaks in them still requiring a bit of a hill to tackle to get to the parking lot that was barely visible even from atop the boulder. The right revealed cliffs who's edges reached out to the horizon. Shallow caves, who's backs were visible even from here, littered the cliff walls. amongst them though, was a deep shade-shrouded cave. It seemed as if a wall of onyx blocked the entrance preventing wandering eyes from glancing in.

A soft breeze pushed passed his cheeks and combed its wispy fingers through his hair. He would forget about the strange dark area for a moment and just relax staring off into the void of the horizon for now. His mind seemed to wander over various things as he just gazed out drifting into his own secluded world. He thought about what Demyx had said that day, causing his sudden foul temper over the last few days. When he shook his head pushing his thoughts over and past those his mind skimmed over happier experiences with the two, convincing himself to a better mood so he would return to his friends in better spirits.

It was some time that Axel finally came down from the rock and made his way back to Demyx and Roxas' towels. When he was a few yards away he hesitated for a moment. Bitter thoughts of what conversations might have transpired in his absence crossed his mind. He didn't have much time to dwell on the thoughts as Demyx called him over. "Axel! Just in time, I was going to come looking for you." The soft smiling face of the cheerful and friendly blond soothed his worries away, despite having been the initial cause of the worries in the first place. He shuffled his feet forward acting as if he was still brooding, despite the fact he was cheered up having been called over by his friend.

As he shuffled over to the two, his foot roused a shell from beneath it's sleeping place blanketed by sand. It's soft blue base was striped with darker teal lines and ashen-gray spots. He knelled to scoop it up, looking it over and momentarily forgetting about his waiting friends. The shell was pretty and had a slight shine to it from being tussled amongst the sand and waves. He slowly stood again when he heard the questioning sound of Roxas' voice.

When he touched by the edge of the blankets he looked down at the two sibling blonds who had a bag of food sitting in front of them. "Demyx..." he started, his voice sounding a little weak. He held out the shell he just found, presenting it to the older blond. "Sorry." He began again adding another pause. "For storming off earlier." His chopped speech was paired with a disgruntled side-casted look.

The blonds exchanged glances before Demyx broke out with a wide grin. "It's cool Ax, I know you get into funks like that every once in a while. We all get them so just sit down and hang with us!" He chirped carefully reaching out and taking the shell to look it over. Axel sat down beside Demyx and Roxas gave a small welcoming smile and reached into the bag of food to retrieve a sandwich.

"So, I figured we'd eat and then make some sand castles or something. Wait for it to get dark and all before we go spelunking." Axel gave an almost dead-pan look about to speak but instead filled it with chips. Roxas rose a thin blond eyebrow at this action. "What? You got a better idea sun-shine?"

Axel gave another dead-panned look as he swallowed, rather painfully, the mouth full of chips. "Yeah. spelunking at night is stupid. You don't have a source of light from the sun to signify the entrance." Axel again reached into the bag and pulled out a sandwich, unwrapping and taking a bite from it.

Demyx, while the two bickered back and forth, smiled uncomfortably. "So, I think we should bury someone in the sand." Demyx stated, raising his voice only slightly to change the topic and drive it away from a potential fight. Roxas shot a thankful look to Demyx while Axel bore a devious one.

"Nose goes." The red head purred out touching his own nose, Roxas mimicking the action. Demyx continued to smile for a moment, not quite catching on until he saw Axel's Movement. His hand flew to his nose and he looked over to Roxas to see that he already had a grasp of his nose. The older blond groans loudly, finishing his sandwich.

The hiss of extinguishing flame growled about the three as they doused the camp fire they built earlier on. While waiting for the setting sun Axel and Roxas had buried Demyx in the sand, shaping a mermaid body around his neck. They had left him there for a half hour before digging him up and going on to build a sand castle. Demyx had gotten especially excited and really gone all-out in it's shaping and decoration. Now that darkness shrouded them, Roxas fished out the flash-lights while Demyx and Axel stored blankets and towels in the bag.

"So, while I was off wondering earlier I saw this weird cave. It seems like the only one worth exploring." Axel hummed out zipping the bag closed and handing it over to Demyx who slung it on his back.

Roxas rolled his shoulders in response, testing the flash lights to be sure they worked before hanging them out. "Alright then, that will save us some time. Good work Axel."

Axel's lips twitched upwards in a sort of mocking sneer as he led the other two towards the strange Cave he had seen earlier. When they stood at the rocky entrance of the wall of shadow cast by the depth of the cave they flicked their flashlights on. The light shone on into the darkness, lighting up the walls of the cave showing it's boundaries.


	3. Chapter 3

Bright eyes blinked wide in surprise. A shrill squeal of a bat reverberated around the three earthen invaders as it dropped from it's perch on the ceiling. It made for the exit, skimming the top of Demyx's hair causing him to yelp and swat at his hair. Axel hissed catching himself mid-slip. "Never trust caves. Nothing good happens in caves. This was Roxas' stupid idea anyways; I never even wanted to leave my fucking house in the first place." Roxas' flashlight wavered as he kicked water up at Axel who growled in response.

"Shut up, you were pretty excited about this damn exploration too." He shook his flashlight giving it an angry stare when it made a crackling sound and flickered. "Remind me who it was who picked the cave out?" the small blond sent a meaningful glance at the much taller male's back.

Axel growled readying a retort when Demyx yelped loudly. The two turned pointing their flashlights towards the blond to see him waving around his own flashlight, "It's dead." He smiled sheepishly. Axel scowled rolling his eyes and moving to his friend's side.

"Stay close, we'll share this one." he grumbled out. Demyx smiled gratefully, wading the water beside Axel. Roxas, all the while, had a smug smirk on as he watched the two.

"A fork? Is this seriously this fucking clich?" Roxas laughed amused. Axel looked back with a skeptical look. "What? Every clich? cave has a forked path. So, which way do we go? Or are we flipping a coin? Oh better yet, how about rock-paper-scissors-lizard-spock?"

Demyx let forth a loud laugh at the comment. "Did you seriously just say "Rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock"? Good job showing your fandom." Demyx let forth another string of giggles while the smaller blond fumed.

"Fine! How do you think we should pick a route you dumb blond?!" Roxas hissed at ready to throttle his brother. Demyx, feigning an intelligent pose by grabbing the front of his shirt with one hand and tucking the other behind his back made to speak only to be interrupted by Axel.

"Demyx, I wouldn't. You might end up giving Roxas fuel to troll you." the red head hummed absentmindedly while shinning his light down one tunnel then the other, gauging the distance and danger.

It was Roxas' turn to laugh aloud as Demyx slid his arms over his chest, crossing them and sticking his lip our in a pout. "You ass, that was enough fuel to get the ball rolling." Axel shrugged his shoulders and made to move down the right tunnel. "Wait! Axel what are you doing?" Axel looked back, again with a skeptical look and Demyx placed his hands on his hips impatiently. "Don't you know? Dragons are always right so you have to go to the left!"

Axel gave a long dead panned look before speaking. "Are you fucking serious right now, Demyx? Are you seriously saying the things I'm hearing." Roxas, who was trying to hold back the laughter at Axel's surprised expression pealed over, shifting his weight to lean against the cave wall.

After a moment, when Roxas had finally come down from his laughing fit, Demyx spoke again with agitation stringed in his voice. "Done laughing at me now? Because it's your fault we're here in the first place!" Roxas, whipping his eyes let out a few more chuckles while trying to catch his breath.

"It's funny because it's not my fault at all. Axel's the one who picked the cave. Didn't I say that before, or were you not listening?" the small blond said heading down the right passage.

Crossing the threshold though, he had to fling his hand out and catch himself on the wall while the hand carrying his flashlight spun light all about, reflecting off the tiny green glowing bugs on the ceiling and dark green and gray flashes of the cave floor. "Jesus. It's slippery this way but it's still cross able." Axel quirked a brow, not bothering to defend himself this time. With a sigh he looked to Demyx, the strange remark the blond had made earlier still ringing in his ears, and nodded his head to follow.

The tiny glowing bugs on the ceiling grew in number the further along in the tunnel they went. Crawling the walls slowly, adding to the strangeness of the setting. Roxas' flash light crackled loudly int erupting the silence of the setting, the light flickering and dimming. "What's wrong with this thing? It's brand new and acting up like this?" He hissed shaking it in a violent manor. When the flickering stopped the smaller blond gave it the same hard and angry look when it had acted up before.

Demyx chuckled nudging Axel. The red head shook his head, knowing Demyx was about to poke a bear. "Well that's what happens when you buy dollar store flash light and batteries." Roxas stopped in his tracks. The tiny blond twitched slightly, an early warning signs of an impending fight.

Roxas took a deep breath beginning to turn around when Axel spoke up to interrupt the bomb about to explode in this confined place. "So, Roxas you uh you're going to school for Entomology right?" The red head cast a weary grin to the side, aimed at the one he spoke to, while Demyx stood alone in the dark behind the only two with flashlights.

Demyx reached out, intending on clasping his hand on Axel's shoulder and ask for the Flashlight. What occurred however, was as he reached out he stepped down hard on a curved stone rich with squishy green moss life. The blonds yelp followed by a splash caught the two's attention. Axel flipped around to see Demyx on his rear, face screwed up in pain as he held his ankle and hissed. "Axel... I think it's broken." He whined looking up pitifully at the red head.

Axel sighed holding the flashlight in his mouth and reaching down, hooking his hands under the blond's arms and helping him up. Demyx steadied himself, lifting his injured leg while Axel turned his back to Demyx and crouched. "Get on my back. We're headed back now." He garbled, mouth stuffed with the flashlight.

Demyx struggled slightly climbing up onto Axel's back. When Demyx was finally settled he reached around taking the flashlight from the red head's mouth. "Thanks..." He began but yelped in Axel's ear with the next word he was about to speak.

Roxas smiled sheepishly at Demyx as the older blond peered around the other side of Axel's head to look down at the younger who had squeezed a little too tightly when wrapping his brother's foot. "Sorry." He muttered out dressing the injury more gently.

The three had been walking for a while now and still they had not come to the fork they originally took. The water was rising and they were forced to wade through, sloshing about carefully over the smooth stone and moss. "Hey Axel?" Roxas asked as he looked up at the tall red-head.

Axel spared him a glance before looking ahead again. He was a little unnerved by the worried expression crossing the blond's face. "Yeah? What's wrong?"

"They'll send a search party for us if we don't come back right?" Roxas's voice betrayed him as it shook. The young blond was scared to death of being trapped in this cave. He probably would acquire claustrophobia if they made it out of this alive.

"Of course!" Axel said with a smile, trying to calm Roxas down. The last thing he needed was a mental break down from one blond while he still had to carry the other due to injury. "Don't worry so much Roxas. We keep going straight and we'll reach the exit sometime soon."

Roxas' voice shook more now. "While that is a comforting thought what isn't is the fact that the water is now up to my fucking waist!" the blond screeched shining his light down at the water that had in fact risen to his waist.

Axel's brows rose in surprise. "Uh... Ya know I normally would suggest we hurry the fuck up but if one of us slips again we'll really be dead in the water." Roxas gave him an irritated look. "Heh, no pun intended, honest." Roxas rolled his eyes moving closer to Axel.

The water had risen to the point that Roxas could no longer wade comfortably. He had abandoned his flashlight and took up holding onto Demyx' back, while allowing Axel, who was tall enough that he could still comfortably touch the ground, pulled the other two along. Demyx had rested the flashlight on Axel's head, one hand keeping it in place while the other held on to Axel so he didn't slip. "So Axel, if I die I just wanted you to know. I'm happy we became so close." Roxas made a whining sound from behind the two.

Axel let out a low growl. "Would you two shut up? We're not goi-" He was cut off by a rumble and crash. A wave of saltwater pushed past them making Axel gag. The water added another layer touching at his shoulders now.

Demyx hissed out for them to stand still and stop splashing around. "I think... I hear something..." he stated cryptically waving the flashlight around at the ceiling till the light flicked over a hole in the rock above them. "Axel! Over there!" He demanded.

The red head growled lowly. "We don't have time for this! We need to get out of here!" Axel began moving forward but a sharp yank at his hair from Demyx pulled him to a stop. "Augh! Do you wanna fucking swim?!" He hissed.

Demyx shot him a serious look. "Listen, I don't have time to explain right now just get over there!" Axel growled again muttering that if they died he would kill Demyx's ghost. Axel moved to the spot designated by Demyx, Roxas being pulled behind. Demyx flicked the light up a short passage, becoming domed at the end. The blond hummed shifting this way and that, angling the light to show edges of the wall where there seemed to be a ledge. "Well boys, we've got two options. One, Continuing on and then possibly swimming to freedom; or you know, dying. Or option two climbing up there and waiting things out."

Axel looked at Demyx dumb-struck and about to scream out his answer when Roxas replied for them both. "Help me up. I think I should be able to touch the ledge. If I get a boost from Axel." Roxas took the flashlight in his mouth. Demyx wrinkled his nose as he leaned away from the red head when Roxas climbed the other male like a tree, pushing himself up on Axel's shoulder and then standing on them. "I'm up!" Roxas cheered pulling himself up with some difficulty.

Roxas turned around helping his wounded brother up next and then Axel last, with the help of Demyx. "Now what?" Axel grumbled pulling his legs close to keep himself warm. Roxas moved the flash light about slowly observing the surroundings.

Demyx sighed leaning back against the cave wall. "Now we wait here for the water to flow out enough for us to safely leave." He peered back at Axel in the dark, unable to read his expression as the other male stared back at him.

"We might not have to." Roxas called as he stood in front of a large black metal bars. Behind them another tunnel with a large door, a strange gargoyle with it's tongue, much like a snake, slithering past it's lips and curling back, beckoning any who approach forward.

Axel jumped up rushing over, momentarily forgetting Demyx who he had been talking to. "Roxas, I could kiss you right now." He grinned brightly, hope of salvation so bright it was evident even within the darkness. The red head pushed at the gate and it gave an irritated scream as it shifted from it's rest. Axel gave another shove at the gate and it screeched across the flooring enough for them to slip past.

A warm gust of wind pushed past them and ended as abruptly as it came. "That was...weird..." Roxas said turning and letting his eyes Follow Axel when he turned to retrieve Demyx. When Demyx was again on his back he moved back to Roxas' side. "Ready?" Demyx nodded pressing close to Axel's back as they squeezed through the gates.

As they approached an ominous feeling crept up on Demyx and he chewed at his lip. "I have a bad feeling about this guys." He whimpered, watching the Gargoyle who seemed to stare right back at him, hungry and waiting to devour them. Roxas Rolled his eyes and handed the flash light to Demyx, who held it steadily pointed at the door as his younger pushed on the cold metal of it.


End file.
